Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-07
Other Lands Than Ours.

Ihe London Times having followed up
the Parneli forgery by denouncing Dillon
as liar, that journal has occupied rather
more attention in England during the
past week than any other subject.
motion in the house of commons to insti-
tute proceedings against the nominal
of the paper was breach of privilege,
has occupied the attention OF the house
for several days, to the exclusion of all
other matters, including the crimes bill.
That measure has consequently made
very little progress during tho week.
la the discussion of the motion regarding
the Times, the tories have manifested
the most partisan and unfair spirit.
The fact that the language used by the
newspaper was plain breach of privilege
they cannot escape from, but they seek to
escape from an evident duty to defend
the character of a member of the
house by the subterfuge that Dillon can
have recourse to the courts for redress.
1t is a contemplate exhibition of the
sacrifice of all precedent and right to
party hate. While the statesmen of Eng.
land are wrangling over this matter, the
relentless agents of landlords in Ireland
are turning the miserable tenants out of
their homes and the heartless work of
coercion goes on.
&**
The week has developed no events of
interest on the continent of Europe,
nothing having occurred from which
even plausible conjecture of future dis
turbance could be drawn. The popular
demonstrations in Paris. since the
Schnaebeles affair, have served to show
the very strong anti-Gsrman feeling, but
there has not been any considerable rep
resentation OF the better element identi.
fed with these demonstrations. So
far as official expressions 60 they
indicate the prevalence of an entirely
friendly sentiment, and it is evident that
the better class of people are we'll pleased
that the last cause of misunderstanding
between France anu Germany was so
promptly and satisfactorily settled. The
incident has made Schnaebeles some
thing of hero, and has Injured to his
permanent advantage. Germany having
sent the prisoner back to his own coun-
try, has dismissed all thought of the mat
ter, but doubtless tho people are taking
due account Of the popular manifesto
tons of hostility in Paris.
Nv
The French fleet is shortly to engage
in series of grand man9uvres, the most
important which have been undertaken
since the war. Its first operation will be
the transport OF troops from France to
Algeria and the attacking of the convoy
by squadron of torpedo boats, having
Corsica for their base of operations.
The squadron will be composed OF four
lronclads and four cruisers escorting the
convoy, of four other ironclads, which
will be considered as transports. 1t will
leave Toulon and sail for Algeria. The
torpedo squadron leaving Ajaccio will
have for its mission the attacking of the
convoy as it leaves the port of Toulon.
The second operation will be the attack
by q torpedo squadron upon a squadron
sailing from Toulon to Brest. The third
and the most important is the appear
ance off the Mediterranean coast of
France of an inimical squadron to be at
tackled by torpedo boats. This latter
W.
Twelve men and three women are now
on trial on the charge of conspiracy
against the life of the czar. The prison
ers are guarded in court by soldiers and
the public is excluded. 1t is a star
chamber trial in effect, though the ac-
cused are represented by counsel and the
form of defence is permitted. There
seems to be no hope of acquittal, and the
penalty is death or at the best exile for
life. One OF the women, young girl,
Raisa Schmidova by name, is said to be
more beautiful than Charlotte Corday
and her share IN the plot and certain fate
are the gossip of St. Petersburg. The re
lentless and unending war against the
czar, maintained by men and women of
every social rank, forms one of the most
extraordinary chapters of modern his
tory.
~
A great deal is being said and written
in France about the German trick of
learning the French bpgle calls with a
view to misleading the dnfmy during an
engagement. There is nothing very new
about the idea. Duringsthe war of 1901
German buglers frequeiitly sounded a
halt for French troops, at the critical
point of a charge, and the French regi-
mental band once savodga division by
playing the German national anthem.
This was during sortisifrom Metz in the
course of which one Of the strongest
French divisions mistooka p word of COM
mand and marched right up to the
mouths of the Germag cannon. 1t was
only the intense darkness and the mu-
steal device which saved 'it from dicima-
ton If not annihilation.
- dts
The mortality statistics just published
tor London are interesting as showing
the working of tendencies that are in
operation throughout most of the civil
lied world. The death rate and birth
rate are each on the decrease. The fall
ing off in the former, however. is greater
than In the latter. That Is to say. the
average age attained by people before
they die is greater now than it was ten
years ago, while the number Of persons
born, in portion to population. is not so
great as formerly. But the increase in
the age limit SO counterbalances the de-